Less Trust than Ever Among Israelis in MKs, Ministers

Whatever little trust Israelis had in the Knesset and the politicians that populate it is quickly dissipating.

By David Lev

First Publish: 11/4/2012, 10:26 PM

Knesset

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Whatever little trust Israelis had in the Knesset and the politicians that populate it is quickly dissipating. In its annual survey of how much Israelis trust the members of the Knesset, Haifa University and Ben Gurion University found that Israelis trust Knesset members less than ever.

On a scale of 1 to 5, this years' trust index for all MKs came to 1.92, down from 2.08 last year, and 2.11 in 2010. This year's number was the third lowest in the past 12 years, when the survey was first taken. Trust in the government and its ministers was just as low: The trust index for them was 1.9, compared to 2.04 last year.

The perception by Israelis of the Knesset as an institution that passes equitable and fair laws has also fallen by the wayside. The trust level for the Knesset is 1.94, compared to 2.13 in 2011, and 2.15 in 2012. Even worse was people's faith in political parties as agents of positive change; that number came out to 1.79 for 2012, a sharp drop from that average of 1.92 last year and 1.94 in 2010.

The poll also surveyed Israelis' feelings about other public servants – judges, police, teachers, journalists, etc. On average, those groups rated at 2.96 out of 5, with MKs and government officials running last in the trust level for public servants.